I
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2009
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 23, 2015
Mr. Grijalva introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To provide for the conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the United States to the Tucson Unified School District and to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Land Conveyance Act of 2015
.
Definitions
For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions apply:
District
The term District means the Tucson Unified School District No. 1, a school district recognized as such under the laws of the State of Arizona.
Map
The term Map means the map titled PYT Land Department/2015/BLM Congressional Bill
.
Recreation and Public Purposes Act
The term Recreation and Public Purposes Act means the Act of June 14, 1926 (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.).
Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
Tribe
The term Tribe means the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, a federally recognized Indian tribe.
Lands to be conveyed or held in trust
Parcel A
In the event that the District conveys all of its existing right, title, and interest in and to the approximately 39.65 acres of land depicted on the Map as Parcel A, to which the United States holds a reversionary interest under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, to the United States, Parcel A shall be accepted by the United States and held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe as part of the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Reservation.
Parcel B
Subject to subsection (a) and valid and existing rights, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the approximately 13.24 acres of Federal lands generally depicted on the Map as Parcel B shall be conveyed to the District by patent without reservation of rights by the United States.
Parcel C
Subject to valid and existing rights, the United States hereby waives and gives up, all reversionary interest otherwise retained under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act in and to the approximately 27.50 acres of the land generally depicted on the Map as Parcel C and said lands shall thereafter be deemed held by the District free and clear of any claims of the United States.
Effective date
Subsections (a) and (b) shall take effect on the day after the District conveys all right, title, and interest of the District in and to the approximately 39.65 acres of land depicted on the Map as Parcel A to the United States.
Gaming prohibition
The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities on lands taken into trust pursuant to this Act, either as a matter of claimed inherent authority, under the authority of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), or under regulations promulgated by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming Commission.
Water rights
In general
There shall be no Federal reserved right to surface water or groundwater for any land taken into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe under this Act.
State water rights
The Tribe retains any right or claim to water under State law for any land taken into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe under this Act.
Forfeiture or abandonment
Any water rights that are appurtenant to land taken into trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe under this Act may not be forfeited or abandoned.
Administration
Nothing in this Act affects or modifies any right of the Tribe or any obligation of the United States under Public Law 95–375 (25 U.S.C. 1300f et seq.).
